The gig economy, cyberbullying, technology ethics, knowledge mobilisation
The demand for doctoral graduates is growing globally. This demand has been partly driven by the growing importance attached to higher degrees in providing high-level skills for the emerging knowledge economy. The upsurge in the demand for doctoral graduates which began to increase disproportionately in the 1990s has frenzied lately. This has led to greater scholarly interest in diverse perspectives of doctoral education including models of doctoral programmes. Available evidence indicates that governments and universities have responded positively to the imperative growth in the demand for doctorates. This has, among other things, led to an increase in the number of students enrolling in doctoral programmes. However, available evidence shows that about half of these doctoral candidates do not graduate while those who graduate take longer than desired. The high dropout and low completion rates can be attributed to diverse factors in different countries. In Kenya, the vast majority of doctoral candidates who drop out or fail to complete in time experience long liminality periods in the course of their study. Little is known about extended liminality among doctoral candidates in Kenyan universities. This paper aims to shed light on the causes and symptoms of extended liminality among information and knowledge management doctoral candidates at the Technical University of Kenya. Primary data was collected from fourteen doctoral candidates through online focus group discussions using Zoom conferencing platform. All the participating candidates acknowledged that they have experienced extended liminality particularly while preparing and defending their research proposals. According to the students, the extended liminality experienced emanates from individual and institutional challenges. There was consensus, however, that the major causes of extended liminality are institutional or programmatic challenges revolving around inadequate supervision, insufficient institutional support and lack of clarity of expectations. Improving the structure and depth of supervision, institutional support as well as closer monitoring can reduce the prevalence and effects of extended liminality on high dropout and low completion rates among doctoral students in Kenya. These findings may be used by postgraduate degree coordinators to develop pragmatic student support systems aimed at improving completion rates while reducing dropout incidences caused by extended periods of doctoral liminality.
